Reverend W. Wilks apple trees
£34.95Reverend W. Wilks apple trees for sale
Choose a size - bare-root
BR11-year bare-root tree,MM106 rootstock£34.95
Large tree
(3m-5m after 10 years)
Out of stock
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Tree specification
Photos of trees as supplied |
Tree sizes and forms
Next deliveries
Order now for delivery from 26th May.
Delivery charges
Delivery for a single tree starts at £9.95, it is calculated based on your postcode.
All about Reverend W. Wilks apple trees
Reverend W. Wilks is a well-known English cooking apple, very much in the vein of the Victorian culinary apple tradition, although it was developed a bit later, in the early 1900s. It is thought to be derived from Ribston Pippin and Peasgood Nonsuch, both well-regarded English culinary apples.
Reverend W. Wilks ripens at the end of August and produces a well-flavoured tangy but sweet puree when cooked. The apples are large and juicy, but less sharp than some later-season cookers such as Bramley.
Growing and Training
Reverend W. Wilks is a good choice for anyone wanting an easy early-season cooker. It is easy to grow, heavy-cropping, reliably self-fertile, and has excellent natural disease-resistance. The tree is a compact grower.
The only issue to look out for is a tendency towards biennial-bearing - fruiting only every other year as it gets older. This can be addressed by heavy thinning of the fruitlets in early June of the "on" year.
Which pollinators are recommended for Reverend W. Wilks apple trees?
Reverend W. Wilks is self-fertile, so you do not need another variety to pollinate it to produce fruit.
However you are likely to get a better crop if you plant any of the following pollinator varieties nearby.
If you are not sure about pollination requirements just ask us.
Red WindsorRed Windsor is one of the easiest to grow of all dessert apple trees, and with a pleasant apple flavour.
Pink GlowMalus Dolgo, also known as Pink Glow, offers early-season white flowers and very attractive dark pink fruits. It is exceptionally cold-hardy.
Egremont RussetEgremont Russet is the most popular English russet variety, and a good apple tree for the garden.
BountifulBountiful is an easy-to-grow cooking apple, it retains its shape when cooked, fairly sweet for a cooker.
GreensleevesGreensleeves is a reliable and popular mid-season green/yellow apple, easy to grow and productive.
BardseyA hardy disease-resistant apple, discovered growing on an island off the west coast of Wales.
Keswick CodlinKeswick Codlin is a popular early-season cooking apple, easy to grow, and productive in most climates.
Red SentinelMalus Red Sentinel has classic white blossom and a profusion of tiny scarlet persistent fruits.
- More pollinators >
History
Developed by Mr Veitch of Chelsea at the start of the 20th century, and quickly recognised by the RHS (it received an Award of Merit in 1904).
Reverend W. Wilks characteristics
- What level of gardening skill is needed to grow Reverend W. Wilks?Beginner
- Is Reverend W. Wilks self-fertile?Self-fertile
- What flowering group is Reverend W. Wilks?2
- Is Reverend W. Wilks good for pollinating others?Average
- How does Reverend W. Wilks bear fruit?Spur-bearer
- What climates is Reverend W. Wilks suitable for?Mild damp climates
- What season do you pick Reverend W. Wilks?Early
- CroppingGood
- How long can you keep Reverend W. Wilks in a fridge?2-3 weeks
- Food usesCulinaryTraditional cooker
- What is the overall disease resistance of Reverend W. Wilks?Good
- How resistant is Reverend W. Wilks to canker?Some resistance
- Is Reverend W. Wilks resistant to scab?Some resistance
- Is Reverend W. Wilks resistant to powdery mildew?Some resistance
- Where does Reverend W. Wilks originate from?United Kingdom
- When was Reverend W. Wilks first introduced?1900 - 1949
- What colour is the blossom of Reverend W. Wilks?White
British-grown trees


Unlike many garden centres and online retailers, the vast majority of our fruit trees are grown in the UK.
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All our trees are certified under the Plant Healthy scheme, supervised by the Plant Health Alliance.
Other stakeholders include Defra and the RHS.
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Guaranteed fruit trees
When you buy your fruit tree from Orange Pippin Fruit Trees we guarantee it for the first season in your garden while it gets established. If it doesn't grow successfully, we'll either replace it the following season or offer a refund, subject to some conditions.
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More about apple trees
There is no doubt that the famous Bramley's Seedling still rightly reigns supreme. Characterised by its copious rich juicy acidity it quickly renders to stiff puree in the kitchen, and is the benchmark for English apple cookery. However we have noticed a real resurgence in interest in the humble cooking apple in recent years, with cooks looking beyond Bramley for other qualities and textures.
Look out for cooking apples which ripen earlier than Bramley, such as Grenadier or Keswick Codlin.
Scotland also has a strong tradition of cooking apples - Galloway Pippin, Scotch Bridget, Scotch Dumpling for example. This also illustrates another useful quality of cooking apples - they can be productive even in climates where grey skies and rain are more frequent than sun and blue skies.
Many cooking apples are also great for juicing, especially if you like your apple juice to have a bit of an acidic kick.